Recipe for a Perfect Christmas

This movie is not a real high performance film, but it is a very usual kind of story, which even has some funny moments. However, what makes its score lower, is a complete lack of a minimum cultural knowledge, especially about Brazil. In a certain point of the movie Christine Baransky (Lee Bellmont in the film) says that she loves the Brazilians, and especially the music of "salsa" - which demonstrates an absolute lack of knowledge of the Brazilian music: salsa is not, and never has been, Brazilian. Later in the same movie, they arrive to the place where it is supposed to have Brazilian dance music, and what you can hear is mambo and tango - none of them having any Brazilian connection (the real one would be the samba, or maybe the bossa-nova etc..). As mentioned, this lack of knowledge is unacceptable for a movie made in 2005, and by USA producers which are in the same American continent with the other Latin American countries. This fact about the film, reduces any scoring, not only for the error, but because it shows that the film makers has no reasonable cultural worries (and possible knowledge) thought working in a "cultural" environment. Therefore, the good acting of the stars are compromised by the inaccuracy of what should be everyday medium level education.

Did HeidiJean really see this movie? A great Christmas movie? Not even close. Dull, bland and completely lacking in imagination and heart. I kept watching this movie wondering who the hell thought that Carly Pope could play the lead in this movie! The woman has no detectable personality and gives a completely lackluster performance. Baransky was great as usual and provided the only modicum of interesting the whole thing. Probably her involvement was the only reason this project was green lighted to begin with. Maybe I'm expecting too much for a Lifetime movie played 15 days from Christmas but I sat through this thing thinking that with a different director and a recasting JJ with an actress that at least could elicit sympathy this could have been quite a cute little movie.

Christine Baranski brings liveliness to a Christmas tale about a very different mother and daughter. I liked this movie because it addresses a common baby boomer problem - the flamboyant, youthful mom from the wild '60s and the conservative, unflashy daughter. What the mother considers helping ("Would it kill you to wear a little color?") is seen by her daughter, a restaurant reviewer, as pure meddling. When the daughter is on a deadline and can't work due to her mother -- just as a for instance - exercising as she sings "The Twelve Days of Christmas," she enlists the help of a restaurateur (Bobby Cannevale) who is desperate for her to review his restaurant. In exchange for her eating there and possibly writing a review, he agrees to take her mother out during her visit. Well, things don't go exactly as planned...

Christine Baranski gives a multilayered performance as the mother, who's used to putting on a happy face. Bobby Cannevale is sweet as the restaurateur, and Carly Pope is pretty and intense as the daughter.

Underneath all the comic moments is a poignant story of intimate strangers. It's a good holiday movie with a satisfying ending, in the Christmas spirit.

I live for the Lifetime holiday movie schedule, and always look forward to the new movies each year. Sadly, this one was not nearly as good as some of the past winners.

Christine whats-her-name, the mother, as always gave a great performance. But the daughter and Alex were both really weak characters, and didn't leave much room for the actors to show off. I thought there were zero sparks between them. It's like we were supposed to think they're a match made in heaven just because they brushed arms a couple times, and both like books on WWII history. I watch these dumb movies because they're supposed to make you feel all warm and goo-ey Christmas-y inside. But this was just bland; Their first kiss didn't have any of the predictable goo-eyness that i expect from these movies... I dunno, it just left me feeling flat. So much so that i fast-forwarded through dullsville parts with my tivo. I never do that. Normally I rewind those scenes. And watch them again the next night. Yes, I'm a giant loser.

I won't watch this again next year. But some of the past made-for-TV holiday movies that I've enjoyed in the past, and I'll watch again this year include Picking Up and Dropping Off, Boyfriend for Christmas, Comfort and Joy....All cheesy and feel good....

PS I'm tired of all these lifetime movies being about women in 'high powered' jobs, and they illustrate this fact by making them hollow, shallow, vicious jerks. Like women making over six-figures can't like Christmas. Arghhh.... At least this one deserves credit for giving her an actual job description (food critic), wherein most of these movies just have these ditzes in tight suits, stressing about some vague work-related issue on a wireless earphone, saying stuff like "I didn't get my masters in marketing at Columbia and rise to the top of the marketing business to not close this deal"....just to show how successful and professional, and not into Christmas this character must be (problematic because first, a masters in marketing is an MBA; second, what the heck is a 'marketing business'?, and third, can we be more vague and touchy feely about women in business? Make them an accountant, for god's sake; at least that's a real job.)

JJ Jenner (Carly Pope) is the assistant for the food critic at NYC magazine Glow Manhattan. She doesn't get along with her mother Lee Bellmont (Christine Baranski) who is always the center of attention. Lee shows up at her apartment out of the blue. She got retired for old age as a cruise ship dancer but she keeps it a secret. The food critic leaves for maternity, and the new critic is a drunken creep. He gets fired and JJ is the new critic. Lee berates JJ's boyfriend who reveals that he's been actually cheating on her. Alex Stermadapolous (Bobby Cannavale) cooks good food in an empty restaurant. He struggles to get notice without a publicist. JJ agrees to come by his restaurant if he pretends to date her mother keeping her busy.

Christine Baranski makes this something passable. She does a compelling character with emotional depth. The mother daughter relationship works because of her. Both Carly Pope and Bobby Cannavale do a reasonable job. The production is pretty much middle of the road TV movie. This is borderline watchable. I'm not always sure which side of the border however.